Tag Archives: poverty

The excerpt of the article that follows, by Lauren Weber, is another red flag for the health of our country. The first 1,000 days are critical in providing the necessary nutrition for proper development of the brain. Malnourishment during this window from conception to two years of age will impact children for the remainder of their lives.

More Than Half Of American Babies Are At Risk For Malnourishment

The first 1,000 days of nutrition can set a child’s course for life or perpetuate a cycle of poverty. By Lauren Weber

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. ― The nutrition children receive during their first 1,000 days ― from conception until their second birthday ― has a profound impact on how they develop. Without the proper nutrition during that window of time, young brains will not grow to their fullest potential, diminishing the kids’ opportunities for the rest of their lives, according to public health and medical organizations.

Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a groundbreaking policy statement highlighting the importance, and irreversibility, of the 1,000-day window.

“Failure to provide key nutrients during this critical period of brain development may result in lifelong deficits in brain function despite subsequent nutrient repletion,” the AAP Committee on Nutrition said.

In other words, no amount of catch-up can completely fix the lost time for brain formation. Malnourishing the brain can produce a lower IQ; lead to a lifetime of chronic medical problems; increase the risk of obesity, hypertension and diabetes; and cost that individual future academic achievement and job success. The impact can even be generational, perpetuating a cycle of poverty for lifetimes to come.

It’s unclear exactly how many kids in the U.S. are malnourished, but there’s some disturbing evidence: A quarter of toddlers don’t receive enough iron, 1 in 5 children are obese, 1 in 6 households with children are food-insecure, and over half of infants participate in the federal Women, Infants, and Children program for supplemental nutrition.

These children’s futures are at stake, said Lucy Sullivan, executive director for the nonprofit 1,000 Days, which advocates here and abroad for better early nutrition.

We now have a country where the wealthy are in control. They have and use the power to feather their own nests at the cost of the poor and middle classes. The recent tax scam is only the latest demonstration.

We now live in a nation where 95% of us provide labor and benefits for the power elite. Welcome to a class society where your position is to serve the wealthy, Unless we decide to change it, this is fast becoming our world.

Educating girls and young women changes their lives. But, we also know that it changes their communities and their entire nations. Educating girls has a powerful and lasting impact on ending the cycle of poverty and hunger.